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f!rD^ur*", <br />IfrATAGEI]ETITVKtrrtras cottNrY <br />KITTITAS COUNry CEMP <br />Common Methodology- enables organizations of divergent sizes, geographies, and <br />capabilities to have a shared understanding of exercise program management, design <br />and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning; and fosters exercise- <br />related interoperability and collaboration. <br />Exercises are conducted to determine if plans and procedures are operationally sound <br />and to meet mandated requirements. Thorough critiques by participants, controllers, and <br />evaluators identify strengths and weaknesses encountered during the exercise. <br />Changes to plans and procedures are incorporated immediately, if necessary, or in the <br />next review cycle. lf an exercise reveals a proficiency problem, training is enhanced to <br />address that need. Exercise types may include: <br />Walkthrouqhs. workshops and seminars are basic training for team members. They <br />are designed to familiarize team members with emergency response, business <br />continuity and crisis communications plans and their roles and responsibilities as <br />defined in the plans. <br />Tabletop exercises are discussion-based sessions where team members meet in an <br />informal classroom setting to discuss their roles during an emergency and their <br />responses to a particular emergency situation. A facilitator guides participants <br />through a discussion of one or more scenarios. The duration of a tabletop exercise <br />depends on the audience, the topic being exercised and the exercise objectives. <br />Many tabletop exercises can be conducted in a few hours, so they are cost-effective <br />tools to validate plans and capabilities. <br />Functional exercises allow personnel to validate plans and readiness by performing <br />their duties in a simulated operational environment. Activities for a functional exercise <br />are scenario-driven, such as the failure of a critical business function or a specific <br />hazard scenario. Functional exercises are designed to exercise specific team <br />members, procedures and resources (e.9. communications, warning, notifications <br />and equipment set-up). <br />A full-scale is as close to the real thing as possible. lt is a lengthy exerciseexerctse <br />which takes place on location using, as much as possible, the equipment and <br />personnel that would be called upon in a real event. Full-scale exercises are <br />conducted by public agencies. They often include participation from local <br />businesses. <br />A3. After-Action Reporti ng Process <br />Kittitas County Emergency Management will use the current Homeland Security <br />Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) methodology to conduct and evaluate <br />exercises and real-world events, including theAfter-Action Report and lmprovement <br />Plan process. An after-action report (AAR) summarizes key exercise-related evaluation <br />information, including the exercise overview and analysis of the performance related to <br />each exercise objective and the core capabilities. They are used to highlight strengths, <br />as well as areas for improvement, so that corrective actions can be implemented to <br />resolve capability gaps and shortcomings identified in exercises or real-world events. <br />KCEM also conducts after action reports on local emergencies and exercises to evaluate <br />the effectiveness of the communication of life safety information per RCW 38.52.070(4). <br />November 2024 1 BASIC PLAN Page 61 of63